


What Men Do

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order
Genre: M/M, post-ep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-16
Updated: 2010-01-16
Packaged: 2017-10-06 08:19:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post 19.12, Mike and Jack contemplate fathers. Well, mostly Mike.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Men Do

**Author's Note:**

> Post 19.12 [Illegitimate]. Because, dude, Christopher MacDonald's character was messed up. And, as we're talking L&amp;O, that's saying something.

“He went to prison,” Jack says, the fact that they’ve been having this conversation for almost an hour not dampening the amazement in his voice. “Did he even ask to look at the results?”

“Nope.” Mike finishes his drink and sets the glass on the table a little too hard. “Probably didn’t think it was something a Kennedy man would do.”

Jack eyes Mike and reaches across the table for the glass. “I do think you’re getting drunk, counselor.”

“Sure,” Mike says breezily. He lifts a fake glass. “To fathers—whomever they may be.”

“Mine was a son of a bitch,” Jack tells him. “Mean and drunk and racist.”

“Mine...” Mike shakes his head and reaches for his wallet. “Useless covers it.”

“But it doesn’t,” Jack says. He lets Mike pay for the drinks and follows him out of the bar. They walk in silence to the subway station, clattering down the stairs side-by-side. The platform is nearly empty. Jack pulls at Mike’s sleeve and leads them away from the four people who are waiting for the train.

“He was around,” Mike says quietly. “But he wasn’t there.”

“You get morose when you’re drunk,” Jack observes, “but only when you’ve lost a case.”

“I didn’t lose,” Mike says with vehemence. “A deal’s a win.”

“Sure,” Jack nods. He glances over his shoulder at the other people on the platform. They’re scattered, the closest one twenty feet away. “But you think it’s a loss.”

“No way to impress him,” Mike mutters, mostly to himself. “Great grades. Good at sports. Lots of friends.”

“Stop it,” Jack says, nudging Mike’s foot with his. “I took you out for drinks to get you liquored up and get me laid.”

“I wanna talk about this.” It’s almost petulant, but Mike presses his lips together to hold it in.

“Make you a deal; you bring this up when you haven’t have four drinks and no dinner, and I’ll listen. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you any good.”

“Voice of experience.”

Jack grins at Mike’s annoyed tone. “Something like that.”

“I took all advanced classes,” Mike says after a pause. “Star of my mock trial team.”

“Color me surprised.” Jack knows how the conversations going to loop, and he knows he’s told Mike to can it, but Jack can’t find the energy to stop Mike from going on. There’s a long-ago look in Mike’s eyes that Jack finds fascinating. He wants to know what’s behind it. “What’d you dad do for a living?” He asks, because he realizes he never thought to ask before.

“Salesmen. Medical supplies. He moved mom and me around all the time.” Mike smiles just a little. “Mom put her foot down when I started high school. Said he could travel all he wanted, but we were staying in one place.”

“And?” Jack prompts when Mike’s gaze wanders over his shoulder.

“And we stayed put. Dad was gone all week, came home on weekends, and then he was gone again.” Mike rolls his shoulders in something close to a shrug. “Forty-eight hours of pure not-giving-a-damn.”

“Maybe you were boring.” It’s a gamble, but Jack can’t stand the defeated edge to Mike’s tone.

Mike blinks at Jack, eyes slightly glazed from the booze. After a few seconds, he grins. “Asshole.”

Jack grins in return. “I try.” Jack glances over his shoulder when the rattling of the train comes towards the platform. “Train’s coming.”

“Okay.” Mike lets Jack maneuver him onto the train and slumps against Jack when they get seated. “Thanks.”

“Sure,” Jack says and leans into Mike when the train lurches to a start.


End file.
